Get Ready to Read!
Early Literacy Activity of the Month
September 2007

My Name Has Letters

My Name Has Letters is an activity that you can do with one child or a group of children to help them learn that their names are made up of letters and what those letters look like.

This activity is a beginning activity, for children who are just beginning to develop the skills needed to learn to read and write.

This activity is a print knowledge activity.  Print knowledge refers to a child's understanding of books, printed letters and words. Some print knowledge skills are: recognizing printed letters of the alphabet, knowing that print carries a message and being aware of how books work.

This activity is an emergent writing activity. Emergent writing refers to a child's beginning attempts to use print in a meaningful way.

Where can I find this activity? (The links below are PDF files that will open in a new window.)

My Name Has Letters for one adult with one child, in English 
My Name Has Letters for one adult with a group of children, in English 
My Name Has Letters for one adult with one child, in Spanish 
My Name Has Letters for one adult with a group of children, in Spanish

My child is having trouble with this activity. How can I help?
If a child is having trouble with this activity, begin with the first letter of the child's name, as it is often the letter of the alphabet with which a child is most familiar.  Once the child can match the first letter of his or her name, continue the activity with the next letter.

How can I make this activity more challenging?
To make this activity more challenging, let the child choose the plastic letters in his or her name and trace them onto the paper.